NO HALL OF FAME FOR YOU!

There were 34 players on the Hall of Fame ballot this year, and 19 of them were newcomers but The Baseball Writers Association of America only voted three new ballplayers in last night. I applauded some, was shocked by some and as insensitive as this will sound I have to admit I laughed my ass off at some of them! To sum it up, this ballot just had some good, a little bad, and a whole lot of ugly!

Tom DiPace / The Associated Press file photo

The good part was finally getting Tim Raines into the Hall of Fame on his tenth and final year of eligibility. He was a staple and an icon of the dynasty Yankee teams from 1996-1998. It feels like a long time coming because back in 2009 he had a mere 26% of the vote....which usually means slim chances of getting into Cooperstown but he made it. The odds were stacked against him so this definitely feels like a victory so this belongs in the "good" column.

Mike Mussina also seems to be gaining momentum. He has steadily gained a higher voter percentage in his last four years on the ballot. He ended with 51.8% of the vote this year which is a lot better than his 20.3% back in 2014. Maybe he can pull a Tim Raines too and get to the needed 75% within the next six years. He at least has momentum on his side, so I will go with the good vibes and chalk that up to a spot in the "good" column also.

There are always some "bad" surprises in these ballots....and this one was surprising and close for destined future Hall of Famers Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman. I know I was especially pulling for Hoffman this year, but he fell just 5 votes shy of getting in and Guerrero missed it by 15. If I were a betting woman I would've put money down on both. Good thing I didn't. I guess the good news here is that next year they should both get their spots. Mariano Rivera will always be my favorite closer but Hoffman is not only talented, but a class act.

Photo: SI.com

The real "bad" surprise here was the lack of support or "one and done" appearance for Jorge Posada on this year's ballot. Posada only received 3.8% of the vote and will not be eligible on future ballots. It's a shame. I always knew Posada was a long shot to get in. He played an important role for the Yankees during their championship years but the numbers just weren't there. I was at least hoping he would get enough votes to stay on the ballot for a couple of years. I wish he had fared better with the BBWAA but, he will always score high with the BYB staff.

The best part for me was the hilarity and the "ugly" meltdown for Curt Schilling that has been ongoing or months now. Many news sources have covered it, but THIS one gives a good timeline. Maybe karma is catching up to Schilling and he is having another meltdown. In 2016, Schilling appeared on the ballot for his sixth year and ended with 52.3% of the votes. His numbers had been increasing over the years so it seemed like 2017 was the year for him to get in.....

But it seems as though too many writers still remember the bridges he burned. Maybe tweeting about how "awesome" it would be to lynch journalists wasn't such a good idea when you want these same people to vote you into baseball mortality. Before anyone says "well you are a writer, you are just being sensitive" it's not just about that. Schilling also made controversial Anti-Transgender comments and made comments comparing Muslims to Nazis that ultimately caused ESPN to fire him from his analyst gig. He tried to defend himself later but the damage was done and myself like many other people just didn't care to hear it anymore. Open mouth....Schilling inserts foot. Not so bright.

Photo of the real Sidney Ponson

And of course, even as I sit and laugh others are too. In fact, it appears that Schilling has been "trolled" on Twitter by what may or may not be a fake Sidney Ponson account because it is not "verified" by Twitter. Someone saw an opportunity to have some fun and Schilling once again opened his mouth and inserted foot. He just doesn't know when to stop.

So clearly, he hasn't learned that words have consequences no matter how stupid or misguided he sounds and people aren't overlooking it.  Schilling has fallen victim to the dreaded "character clause" that states: "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

Based on this, he is one of the best postseason pitchers in history.

He ranks 15th in career strikeouts and third in strike-out to walk rate so the numbers are there....but clearly his integrity, sportsmanship and character suck so that overshadows his great accomplishments. Is it fair? Maybe not....but he is representing more than just himself otherwise he would still be an analyst for ESPN and he may have made the Hall of Fame this year.

The best part of all of this for me was when other Twitter users tried to tell him they thought the account was fake he responded with this:

Wait, let me get this straight....HIS tweets are about as stupid as the stuff he said in real life? Hmmmm....HEY SCHILLING are you the pot or the kettle because if anyone can relate to stupid tweets and remarks it would have to be YOU.

 --Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

HALL OF FAME NEWS!

(Photo: Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images)

Now look, we will have a much more comprehensive piece about the Hall of Fame reaction with Jeana Bellezza soon, but for now, I just wanted to fill the BYB audience in on the results for who was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Several top publications have reported this, but we'll go with USA Today on this one:

"Iconic Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, base-stealer extraordinaire Tim Raines and 13-time Gold Glove winner Ivan “Pudge’’ Rodriguez earned baseball’s most coveted distinction when they were named on more than 75% of the ballots cast by eligible members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Raines (86%) was on his 10th and final year of eligibility, while Bagwell (86.2%) made it on his seventh attempt and Rodriguez (76%) on his first one, earning 336 of 442 votes - four more than necessary. Closer Trevor Hoffman fell five votes short. Vladimir Guerrero was named on 317 ballots (71.1%), 15 votes shy of induction in his first year."

I'm alittle surprised the Pudge got in so quickly but that clearly has to be writers still turning their backs on accused or possibly dabblers of PEDs in the steroid era. I am also alittle shocked Trevor Hoffman did get his day, although, next year for sure... don't you think?

OK. That's the news on that. More reaction and opinion from Jeana Bellezza. Keep checking back on BYB for that.

PLEASE DON'T BLOW THIS YEAR'S HOF VOTE

If you’re a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and happen to be reading this, check your mailbox. Your 2016 Hall of Fame ballot was just mailed out.

And if you happen to be one of the many members who hasn’t covered or even watched a ballgame since Barry Bonds passed Babe Ruth on the home run list (nobody knows exactly how many of you there are because the BBWAA refuse to say), PLEASE do us a favor! 

Baseball Writers at Polo Grounds 1911. (Pach Brothers studio/National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

Chuck your ballot in the trash along with your junk mail from AARP, Depends and Fixodent. It’s both a shame and ironic the organization created more than a century ago to professionalize the press box can’t do better by the players they rely on for their copy than a selection process little better than replacement level.

You see, there’s seven former Yankees -- Jorge Posada, Mike Mussina, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, Tim Raines, Javier Vazquez and Lee Smith -- on the ballot this year. One homegrown, the rest adopted; all respected and appreciated by baseball fans everywhere. And we don’t want or need your old-school eye tests, your metric-phobia, your inability to access and analyze pertinent databases or even follow the sport via computer since the Sporting News went out of print, or any loyalties to old drinking buddies you used to “cover” throwing roadblocks in theirs or anyone else’s path to Cooperstown.

Because goodness knows the path is challenging enough just staying healthy long enough and playing well enough to even make it onto the ballot in the first place. Throw in the constraints of limited ballot slots, the narrow qualifying profile for voter eligibility and conflicts of interest associated with the designated voter pool, and the obstacles to induction resemble something akin to Bartolo Colon trying to leg out an inside-the-park homer on a hot steamy afternoon.

I’m not going to waste anyone's time or BYB’s space here laying out the pros and cons of anyone’s Hall of Fame bonafides. Far more knowledgeable and articulate baseball observers than I have already done so, and all you have to do is Google “Hall Of Fame Case” and peruse the players’ names and their work. Read up, revel in the diversity of the data that’s out there and howl with righteous indignation January 18th when the official tallies are announced. 

(Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times)

Your opinion is no more or less valid than a small group of baseball writers that won’t even tell you how many of them actually watch the sport or compel their members to publish their ballots. (Will the three drunken clowns who didn’t vote for Ken Griffey Jr. please stand up?)

I’ll just content myself with the knowledge that in the 80 years since the first Hall election, just 217 major leaguers have managed to crack the code for induction and 24 of them are wearing Yankee caps on their plaques. And this year, the Yankees have a half dozen players under consideration who have worn the pinstripes for all or part of their distinguished careers and did them proud.

And whether any or all of their Hall credentials are ultimately deemed extraordinary enough to warrant induction or not, as a fan of this ball club I get to watch some pretty extraordinary players make history every year, and I've got Monument Park. 

Trust me... that's good enough for me.

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter:  @nyyankeefanfore

  

TOP FIGHTS IN YANKEES HISTORY: #5-1

As I mentioned in the first half of this series, the Yankees have had some great rivalries, and most of us remember where we were and how we yelled at the TV when certain fights happened. Here is the second half of my top 10 fights in Yankees history.

5. Shelley Duncan and the Spring Training Melee

I cannot think of a single good reason why a fight breaks out in spring training. Veterans are getting their work in, rookies are trying to make an impression. Everybody's biggest worry is getting hurt and missing opening day. The last thing anybody thinks about is a fight. The 2008 Rays had other ideas. After a home plate collision a few days earlier, Shelley Duncan retaliated by sliding into second with spikes up. Tampa Bay right fielder Jonny Gomes charged in and the benches cleared. It was the birth of a division rivalry with the division newest member.

4. Alex Rodriguez vs. Jason Varitek

July 24, 2004, was a flashpoint in the history of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. After getting hit by a pitch, Alex Rodriguez started yelling at Jason Varitek and it was very easy to read lips ("F--- you! F--- you! F--- you, M---r f---r, c'mon!"). Varitek puts his mitt in Alex's face, and Alex grabs him in a headlock and throws him around like a rag doll. After Varitek was rescued by his teammates, a bunch of other fights broke out on the field. This fight was a clear indicator of what the rivalry with Boston looked like in 2003 and 2004. It wasn't as bad as 1976, ut it was intense. Do hard feelings linger? Neither Alex nor Varitek will sign a picture from that game. Tanyon Sturtze, who started that game for the Yankees, grew up in Boston. In an exclusive interview with BYB (read Bleeding Yankee Blue: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TANYON STURTZE), Sturtze said that after this fight, he threw out a bunch of Red Sox memorabilia and despises the Red Sox to this day. Enough said.

3. Graig Nettles  vs. Bill Lee

Speaking of 1976 .... it started as a war of words. In 1973, after an altercation between Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk, Red Sox pitcher "Spaceman" Bill Lee said the Yankees looked like "a bunch of hookers swinging their purses". Three years later, in 1976, Bill Lee was pitching against the Yankees when Lou Piniella barreled into Carlton Fisk in a play at the plate. All hell broke loose. Piniella and Fisk went it for a while before it was broken up. Then Lee got the brilliant idea to yell at Graig Nettles. Nettles knocked him to the ground with a single punch. Mickey Rivers and a bunch of other Yankees got into it as well. When it ended, Bill Lee walked away clutching his arm in obvious pain, causing the Yankees Stadium crowd to erupt in cheers. Was it connected to the 1973 comments? After the game, Bill Lee would call manager Billy Martin a Nazi, who responded by leaving a dead fish at his locker with a note telling him to stick it in his purse. Graig Nettles asked after the game, "I'd like to know, does he look like he's been hit with a purse?” Bill Lee was never the same pitcher after that injury. Those were the days.

2. Armando Benitez hits Tino Martinez

Armando Benitez came in to save a 1-run lead with two on when Bernie Williams sent a fastball over the fence for a three-run home run. Maybe it was the fact that the Orioles had lost 7 of their previous 9, or that they were in dead last. Regardless, Benitez lost his composure and hit the next batter, Tino Martinez, on the first pitch. Darryl Strawberry led the charge from the dugout and the fight lasted for 10 minutes. It spilled into the visitor's dugout, with lots of people getting involved. Most notably, Graeme Lloyd flew in with a wild haymaker, which earned him a loud standing ovation the next game he appeared in. Curiously, Cal Ripken was pulling people away from the fight. He was in the middle of his consecutive game streak, so I wondered why he would risk getting injured. Nevertheless, it was a stupid move by Benitez, even prompting some of his teammates to say the same. To add insult to injury, the next batter, Tim Raines, hit a home run. It was a nice touch. 

1. 2003 ALCS Pedro Throws Zimmer to the Ground

Betting on baseball gets you banned from the Hall of Fame. Throwing a 72-year-old man to the ground apparently does not. Roger Clemens was pitching to Manny Ramirez when he threw a pitch that angered Manny. If you see the footage, the pitch was high but over the plate. That little detail didn't stop Manny from walking to the mound and yelling at Clemens, who was yelling back. Benches cleared, and Don Zimmer charges Pedro Martinez. Pedro grabs him by the head and shoves him down into the ground. The fight literally stops and both Yankees and Red Sox players come around to see if Zimmer was okay. It drew universal condemnation from the announcers to baseball journalists all over. Even Mayor Bloomberg suggested that perhaps assault charges should be considered. Despite rationalizations from Pedro that he was trying to defend himself, absolutely nobody was buying it. It was an ugly game, with 3 separate altercations, and deepened the hatred between the two teams.

So that's it. I gotta tell you, recalling some of these incidents got me heated. And it's the offseason. So what did you think? Did I get it right? Did I miss any of your favorites? Let us know. 

--Ike Dimitriadis, 
BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

THE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES WERE NAMED

The names have been announced.  The names shouldn't surprise anyone really, even though I'm kind of shocked.

Mike Piazza
Ken Griffey Jr.

These men will be elected into the Hall of Fame in 2016 and well deserved even though I disagree.  BYB Senior Writer Ike Dimitriadis put together his list yesterday in his post MY HALL OF FAME BALLOT AT HIGH NOON. Here it is:

Mike Mussina
Lee Smith
Ken Griffey Jr.
Curt Shilling
Gary Sheffield
Trevor Hoffman

BYB Writer Alexis Garcia gave her opinion for why Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens should be in the Hall and you should read her thoughts on why in  BONDS & CLEMENS DESERVE COOPERSTOWN.

If you are asking me, I agree mostly with the voting, although I'm not so sure that Piazza should be in, at least right now. I'm shocked actually.  Then again, there can be an argument for making it as well.

I would have also chosen Mike Mussina for his great work a a Balimore Oriole more than with the Yankees, Griffey, Tim Raines, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman and Roger Clemens.

I would have written in Pete Rose and if I was a member of the BBWAA, I would do it every single year. I do not care that he bet on baseball... his play needs to be recognized in Cooperstown. It's a wasted vote, I understand that, but it would have to be done. It would put my mind at ease.

I would have also written in Don Mattingly even though there is virtually no shot he will ever be a member of the Hall... his time may have passed.

Congrats to the inductees. Looking forward to the ceremony.




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PETE ROSE IS NO WORSE THAN THE OTHERS

Early last week, two of our terrific BYB writers wrote pieces about Pete Rose.  Ike Dimitriadis put together a piece titled MANFRED REACHES ONLY JUSTIFIABLE DECISION ON PETE ROSE – “NO” and Steve Skinner wrote ROSE TO THE HALL IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Read them both, they are great.

Ike is not a fan of having Rose in the Hall of Fame.  Skinner, like me, has a childhood hero in Rose, and believes he should be there... but understands Manfred's decision. Here's the quote that resonated with me in Steve's piece: "Baseball’s immortals are an incomplete group without him."

I'm about to go further...

I like Rob Manfred as Commissioner.  Then again, I like anyone that isn't Bud Selig as Commissioner.  But yes, I like Manfred.  He's willing to look at everything.  He's willing to make decisions and perhaps change things in a pretty stale sport right now. But I take issue with his decision to not lift Pete Rose's ban, even though Rose has admitted to still gambling on sports.  Take a seat for this one...

Look, I find it interesting how many folks out there will look at gambling, and immediately say, "Well, gambling is an addiction, like drugs or alcohol. Folks that gamble uncontrollably are sick."  And yes, I understand, and accept that assessment. There is truth to this you know. 

But then why, when someone like Pete Rose CLEARLY needs "help", are we turning our back on the guy?  We help drug addicts, alcoholics. Hell, there were cocaine users in the 80's on the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Remember Dave Parker?  That dude continued to play baseball after doing coke and weed. The Expos Tim Raines? 

He used to slide head first into bases so he wouldn't bust vials of cocaine in his back pocket. Admitted and documented. The late Tommy Hanson just died of cocaine and alcohol ingestion this year. Who knows if he was an addict, but he was a user, this is a fact.  

The plain fact is, if gambling is so bad, then why do we look at Pete Rose and just say, "Well, the guy needs to just stay away from baseball. He's a cancer, he's not getting help, he's bad news. He tarnished the game."  Yet, drug addicts, or folks like Yovani Gallardo can drive drunk, yet, he's about to sign a contract with the Astros or Orioles to continue his career, (read DRUNK DRIVING DOESN'T MATTER TO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL for my perspective on that). Life goes on for every other addict, but Pete Rose is blackballed.

And PED users, yes, PED USERS can continue to use, disappear for their suspension, and come back with a clean slate like nothing happened.  All of that is OK, but an addicted gambler is banned for life, regardless of the incredible play he demonstrated on the field. Regardless of him being the all-time hits leader.

Sure, you can sit on your high horse like you're the moral authority and tell me that PEDs users and addicted gamblers are not the same, and I'm here to tell you that you're dead wrong.   Don't debate me on this, it's my opinion, I won't be swayed, and I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm tired of hearing your  side on this.

Oh yeah, and how's this to bring your blood to a boil. If you're going to lump Shoeless Joe Jackson and 7 other men together with Pete Rose for 2 different types of gambling situations, then you sure as hell better crack down on drug use, public drunkenness, and PEDs use as well.  Sorry to be the tight ass of all tight asses... but I'm sick and tired of Rose being lumped in with the Black Sox scandal, all because "gambling" is the word that's used for both. I kind of find it silly. Here's why...

In the 1919 World Series, the Chicago White Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds, and eight White Sox players, Shoeless Joe Jackson being one of them, were accused of losing the Series intentionally.  That's because it was suggested that the games were lost in exchange for gambling money. They were later banned from baseball because of it. Clearly it was a group decision, an idea conspired and executed by all, and so, it was strategic and with that, even though they were acquitted in court, they were still banned from the game for life.  Jackson had an amazing career average before that, and so, he tarnished his career because he and 7 others work together to "throw" the series.

I gotta tell you something, that's not what Pete Rose did.  It's just not.   Plus, if you go through the Dowd Report, it was revealed that he gambled on his own team, and it wasn't to lose. It was to win.  As Pete Rose admitted in 2007:

"I bet on my team every night... I bet on my team to win every night because I love my team, I believe in my team... I did everything in my power every night to win that game."

And so, I ask you, isn't that the basis for playing the game? To win? And furthermore, sure, he admitted it, he's a liar, but he's also an addict and that goes back to my original point. The man's sick, but he's banned... Coke heads? They can get help and come back.  PEDs users are in the clear after a suspension.  Pete Rose is a sick man, but played amazing baseball and is the All-Time hits leader. He bet for his team to win, not LOSE, win... but he gets lumped in with a group of players that intentionally threw a series in 1919.  I'm sorry, I don't get it.

More over, whatever happened to that lunatic John Dowd, who recently falsely accused Rose of having "under age girls" in the clubhouse, IN THE 80'S. Really? Nothing happened with that story Mr. Dowd, and that's because I think the real person we should ban from any baseball type activities is Dowd who clearly has an axe to grind against Rose. The dude's old by now, and biased by the way. Sure, Rose may not be a saint, but false accusations and piling on doesn't exactly offer Dowd as a respected investigator anymore... it's over pal.

Pete Rose is not someone who conspired to sabotage his baseball team.  He loves the Reds. He loved Marge Schott and sure, while siding with a woman like Schott isn't exactly great for a man's reputation knowing the woman she was, he to this day wears his Reds hat proud.  Dowd and Major League baseball have this "thing" about gambling and Rose and have been riding this guy for years based on an old rule.  

The irony is, things are changing. You know how I know? Because MLB is a major investor with Draft Kings and Fan Duel, you know, Internet gambling.  Think about that for a second.  There's no double standard here? Are you joking?  

Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame for his amazing play, as well as he being the All-time hit leader. Does Rose still gamble? He's admitted it, and I remember reading and hearing he was years after.  Has Rose tried to get help? Probably. Why wouldn't he? If people who love him want to help him and he wants to help himself, why the hell wouldn't he?  More importantly, how about MLB do what they do for all their "addicts" and offenders... baby them.  Let the rich player pay the fine for their addiction or bad behavior... and make sure they're suspended, but then... coddle them, and bring them back to the game like so many of the past.  

And the most important question... Has Rose fell off the wagon and continued to gamble? Most definitely. But after everything I told you reading this old rule in the MLB manual needs to somehow be updated. It should be about a player's ability to play the game, not betting after he played, EVEN AS A MANAGER, WHO BET FOR HIS TEAM TO WIN.

MLB Rule 21. Misconduct.
(d) BETTING ON BALL GAMES. Any player, umpire, or club official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform shall be declared ineligible for one year.

Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.

I'm not sure what any of this has to do with his playing days. Pete Rose is the all time hits leader.  They need to do the right thing.

Pete Rose did not conspire with the likes of Eric Davis, Barry Larkin, Tracy Jones, Tom Browning, John Franco and Buddy Bell. He's NOT Shoeless Joe Jackson.  He's also sick with a bad, bad addiction for gambling.  Not cocaine, or alcohol... gambling, and while Major League Baseball doesn't seem to chalk this up as a sickness... it should.  Oh, and it should also cut investment opportunities with Internet gambling sites.  Sites where folks GAMBLE to make money... and MLB collects on that.  What a load of crap. What a contradiction.

Pete Rose belongs in the Hall. It's my opinion.  I will not debate anyone on this issue.  I will not return comments after this op-ed posts... that's because you'll never change my mind and I won't change yours.  Pete Rose is my childhood idol and introduced me to the game of baseball.

Think about how strange it is, that the All-Time Hits leader with one of the most important records in baseball is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Something stinks in baseball, and trust me, it ain't Pete Rose.

Finally, let me say this... I do not gamble. I am not an addict.  I don't dabble in drugs or alcohol to get loaded in any way.  I do however understand what addiction is.  It's a brutal cycle and needs to be handled, not ignored.  

Pete Rose gave everything he had on the field to become one of the best, hardest working baseball players ever.  He gave it because he wanted to do the best he could for his employers, the Reds and MLB.  

Now the MLB just walks away from him?  Really?

-Robert Casey, CEO & Lead Writer for BleedingYankeeBlue.com
Follow me: @BleednYankeeBlu


 

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